Grulke et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,486, assigned to the Assignee of the present invention, discloses a surgical pulsed irrigation handpiece which produces a pulsed irrigation liquid output capable of loosening and floating debris at a surgical site for subsequent removal (as by suction). This prior pulsed irrigation handpiece has been on the market for several years and has proved generally effective for its intended use and hence has been popular in the surgical community.
However, in a continuing effort to improve on existing devices of this general kind, the present invention has been developed. As compared to the above-mentioned prior device, a pulsed irrigation handpiece embodying the present invention is producible at lower cost, produces sharper liquid pulse transients (particularly the pulse "off" transient), requires no connection to any operating room power source (e.g. compressed air) or to an external pump, and instead is self-contained, requires only external connection to a irrigation liquid source (e.g. conventional irrigation liquid bag), provides better suction (when suction is required), is more compact, and is conveniently shaped to be held either as a pistol or a wand (by the handle or barrel).
Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those acquainted with apparatus as general kind upon reading the following description and inspecting the accompanying drawings.